Tuesday, October 2, 2007

Everything-But-The-Kitchen-Sink Pilaf

I love to cook. But I'm one of those "follows a recipe every time" cooks. There are a very few recipes that I have either tossed together on my own or improvised a lot on. I am definitely a rule (and recipe) follower.

But necessity is the mother of invention, they say. I need to go grocery shopping. Badly. I look through the cupboards. Rice. Okay, that'll work. What goes well with rice? Beans. Hmm....it's now 6:30 p.m. Not nearly enough time for beans. Lentils! Those are quick. But Steve hates lentils. What to do? I pull out the lentils anyway.

So I throw in a little of this and a little of that. Twenty minutes later, I served supper. I served Steve's. He says, "Hey. What is this?" "Do you not like it?" I ask. "No. I love it! This is delicious! What is it?" I do not work well under pressure. So I blurted out, "Everything-but-the-kitchen-sink pilaf!" It worked for him. "I love it! You must make this again." So I am sharing it here so I will be able to make it again! I loved it. Steve loved it. Both girls loved it. We had no left-overs. It is vegan, so I can serve it to my daddy! It's definitely a winner.

Everything-But-The-Kitchen-Sink Pilaf

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic

1 red bell pepper, chopped

a handful of baby carrots, chopped

1 tbsp olive oil

1 cup long-grain rice

1/2 cup brown lentils

2 cups water

a handful of frozen peas

Saute' vegetables in olive oil in a skillet (that has a tight-fitting lid) for about 5 minutes. Add the rice and stir around for a few minutes. Add lentils, water, and peas. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, and cook, covered, for 20 minutes or until water is absorbed and rice and lentils are tender. Season as desired. I used salt, pepper, Tony Chachere's seasoning, and some Pampered Chef rosemary herb seasoning.

That's it! Simple! And my lentil-hating husband asked for it for the next day! (He was disappointed. My family left none for the next day.)